A Shellharbour councillor's bid to permanently remove all parking fees from the region's commercial airport has failed to get off the ground. Independent councillor Kellie Marsh last week raised a notice of motion to install permanent free parking at the airport, but it was quashed without debate from any other councillors. At present, there is a three month free parking period to coincide with the airport name change to Shellharbour Airport. This is designed to encourage people to use the airport to travel to Melbourne and Brisbane rather than drive to Sydney. Read more: Illawarra region gets 'new' airport - and free parking Cr Marsh said she believed removing fees would be a way of increasing the patronage at the airport on an ongoing basis. "I think by lowering the cost for the average mum and dad or family at the airport can only make it more financially viable," she said. "I do not want any private business or anybody charging for parking in Shellharbour. I think it's a great point of difference that we've got where we can go shopping and other places and not have to worry about paid parking like in the Shoalhaven or Wollongong. "Permanent free parking at the airport ... is a way we can give back to our residents because the airport is their asset and we have paid for the facility." Explaining the decision to offer no debate on the notice of motion, mayor Marianne Saliba said other councillors did not believe it was necessary. "I asked some questions of the general manager and got the responses I need," she said. She said she had voted against the motion as it would have had financial implications for the council's overall budget, and "we do not make financial decisions on the hop". "We are already doing our bit to promote the airport, and people who are using the airport are not just our ratepayers, they are also residents from outside Shellharbour City," she said. Fly Corporate has been operating out of the airport since late 2018, following the rapid collapse of previous airline JetGo, which was wrapped up with debts of $38 million. Fly Corporate offers 32 flights each week flying direct to Melbourne and to Brisbane.

Cr Marsh said she believed removing fees would be a way of increasing the patronage at the airport on an ongoing basis.

"I think by lowering the cost for the average mum and dad or family at the airport can only make it more financially viable," she said.

"I do not want any private business or anybody charging for parking in Shellharbour. I think it's a great point of difference that we've got where we can go shopping and other places and not have to worry about paid parking like in the Shoalhaven or Wollongong.

"Permanent free parking at the airport ... is a way we can give back to our residents because the airport is their asset and we have paid for the facility."

Explaining the decision to offer no debate on the notice of motion, mayor Marianne Saliba said other councillors did not believe it was necessary.

"I asked some questions of the general manager and got the responses I need," she said.

She said she had voted against the motion as it would have had financial implications for the council's overall budget, and "we do not make financial decisions on the hop".

"We are already doing our bit to promote the airport, and people who are using the airport are not just our ratepayers, they are also residents from outside Shellharbour City," she said.

Fly Corporate has been operating out of the airport since late 2018, following the rapid collapse of previous airline JetGo, which was wrapped up with debts of $38 million.